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Embattled Mayor Rob Ford has one week to decide to take a leave of absence or council will ask the province to oust him.

Ford, who admitted this week that he has smoked crack cocaine and apologized for being “hammered” in public, has been resisting advice from his staff, Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly and other council allies urging him to take a leave of absence and enter rehab.

Conservative Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong — a member of Ford’s executive committee — announced Thursday he’ll ask council next week to vote to ask the province to change the legislation so they can remove him if Ford doesn’t agree to take a temporary leave to seek help.

“We have told him that he needs to find the exit, he doesn’t seem to be listening,” Minnan-Wong said in front of the mayor’s office. “If he won’t find the exit, I think we have to show him the door.”

Minnan-Wong already has a motion going to council next week that could have council demand Ford take a leave of absence, apologize for misleading Toronto residents, apologize for writing a reference letter for Sandro Lisi on City of Toronto letterhead, and co-operate fully with Toronto Police.

But Minnan-Wong turned up the pressure Thursday, promising that if Ford doesn’t stop resisting calls for him to take a temporary leave, he’ll amend the motion to ask council to vote to petition the province to change the legislation to allow for the mayor to be removed outright.

Minnan-Wong argued council needs to act because the ongoing Ford crack scandal could get worse. “I have no confidence it’s going to get any better with the wiretap information coming out and more information being revealed ... council needs to deal with this. The mayor is not dealing with this.

“This is a remarkable circumstance we never anticipated in which the city, its reputation, is being put at risk.

“Extraordinary measures are needed in extraordinary times,” he said.

Minnan-Wong said he still hopes the motion will get unanimous support from council to send a strong message to the province.

“We have to stop this crisis and move forward,” he said.

Councillor John Filion doubted the province would take action.

“I think the city government can function without Mayor Ford,” he said. “It’s a very, very big deal to remove a mayor.

“What is the basis for it? He hasn’t been charged with anything. He has a personal life that is out of control but I’m not sure you should remove an elected official for that reason.”

Filion argued that the more people try to push Ford aside, the more he wants to stay.

Councillor John Parker joked he couldn’t talk about the motion.

“I can’t comment on a motion that I have not seen and may not exist,” he said.

Step aside or we'll have you removed:Minnan-Wong to Ford

Embattled Mayor Rob Ford has one week to decide to take a leave of absence or council will ask the province to oust him.
Ford, who admitted this week that he has smoked crack cocaine and apologized for being “hammered” in public, has been resisting advice from his staff, Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly and other council allies urging him to take a leave of absence and enter rehab.
Conservative Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong — a member of Ford’s executive committee — announced Thursday he’ll ask council next week to vote to ask the province to change the legislation so they can remove him if Ford doesn’t agree to take a temporary leave to seek help.